Sarah M. Sutton (1815-1881)
in Perquimans? County, North Carolina or Twiggs County, Georgia |Baptism = |Death = near Hawkinsville, Pulaski County, Georgia |Father = James? Sutton |Mother = unknown |Spouse = Robert Shepard |Marriage = in Houston County, Georgia |2nd Spouse = Charles West (bef1856-?) |2nd Marriage = unknown |3rd Spouse = |3rd Marriage = |4th Spouse = |4th Marriage = |5th Spouse = |5th Marriage = |Burial = Shepard plot, Orange Hill Cemetery, Hawkinsville, Pulaski County, Georgia }} Sarah Sutton was an orphan. Most records say she was born in North Carolina. Her family apparently moved to Twiggs County, Georgia. I am pretty sure a document from that county gave her father's name to be James Sutton. However, the main James Sutton in Twiggs County was James Newton Sutton (c1791-aft1850). While she does appear to be part of this family, he is unlikely to be her father as she was orphaned around 1830. I have found no evidence of a separate James Sutton in Twiggs County, but records are thin there due to destruction of records. It is possible that she was the daughter of James' possible cousin John Sutton (c1780-1824/1825) and his wife Mary (or Martha?) (d. c. 1838), but they lived in Perquimans Co., NC, and it would seem strange to ship children so far south. But it is the only material lead I have at this stage. It may be that she was previously under the guardianship of James N. Sutton of Twiggs Co., causing him to be mistakenly recorded as her father, but this is really just speculation. After being orphaned, Sarah and her two sisters were remanded into the custody of a William McKenzie of Houston Co. in about 1831, causing her move to the place where she would meet her first husband. After his death, she remarried Charles West. In 1880, she was living with her daughter Laura and son-in-law Josiah Anderson. She was probably suffering from Alheimer's as the census record stated that she had some mental problem. She died the next year and was buried with her son James in Orange Hill Cemetery. The top of her monument was broken off a few years ago and had completely disappeared when I last visited in 2004. I don't know if I will ever really determine who her parents were, but it is an interesting search. Children |- |colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |'Children of Robert Shepard and Sarah M. Sutton' |Birth place = near Hayneville, Houston County, Georgia |Death = |Death place = unknown}} |Birth place = near Hayneville, Houston County, Georgia |Death = |Death place = near Hawkinsville, Pulaski County, Georgia}} |- |colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |'Children of Charles West and Sarah M. Sutton' References *Hawkinsville Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, compilers. History of Pulaski County, Georgia 1808-1935: Official History. Atlanta: W. W. Brown 1935; Bicentennial Edition: Macon, GA: OmniPress, c. 1975. *Henry, William R. 1825-1898 Marriage Records for Houston County, Georgia, Vol. I. *Newson, Eric. Posting of November 16, 1997. *Phelps, Sandra Sutton Smith. Perquimans Co., NC Marriage Notices. *Schmutz, Wendy. Posting of July 3, 1999. *to look up source info. Email communications c. 2000. *to look up source info. Various other Houston County documents. *Could also examine: **North Carolina 1820 Census Records (especially Perquimans and Dobbs Counties) **1820 Twiggs County, Georgia Census **1830 Twiggs County, Georgia Census **1840 Houston County, Georgia Census **1850 Houston County, Georgia Census **1860 Houston County, Georgia Census **1870 Houston or Pulaski County, Georgia Census **1880 Pulaski County, Georgia Census Category:Sutton (surname) Sutton, Sarah M. Sutton, Sarah M. Sutton, Sarah M. Category:Non-SMW people articles